When Machines Become Customers

After over a year of hype, what is the real state of generative AI (GenAI) in B2B sales? In this episode, Betsy and Billy speak with Gartner expert Adnan Zijadic to discuss how sales leaders and the C-suite are engaging with GenAI, which use cases are gaining ground, and where sales leaders are missing out.Adnan Zijadic is a director analyst in the Sales Technologies team at Gartner for Sales Leaders. His research focuses on sales force automation (SFA/CRM) platforms, evaluations, and strategy, along with Sales AI use cases and best practices. Not only that, he also pioneered Gartner’s first ever workable CRM readiness assessment, the SPEED framework. 

In 2024, the most successful CSOs will exert as much influence internally as they do externally, aligning closely with executive peers and championing the commercial organization’s needs. In this episode of the Gartner Sales Podcast, co-hosts Betsy Gregory-Hosler and Billy Luckey speak with Dave Egloff, Gartner Vice President Analyst, to explore how CSOs can build C-suite collaboration and trust.Dave Egloff is a VP Analyst in Gartner’s sales practice. He actively advises and produces research for sales and commercial executives to boost their teams effectiveness and optimize their go-to-market strategies. With more than 20 years of global experience, Dave’s holistic approach combines qualitative assessments with quantitative insights. His areas of expertise include sales design and optimization, go-to-market strategy, sales transformation, sales operations and sales compensation.

In this episode of the Gartner Sales Podcast, Betsy and Billy sit down with Gartner Chief of Research Robert Blaisdell to discuss our recently published 2024 CSO Leadership Vision. Robert explains the Leadership Vision results, including key trends and recommendations that will help CSOs anticipate and respond to market changes across the coming year.Robert Blaisdell is the Chief of Research for the Gartner Sales Practice. Robert has 20 years of experience in strategic account management, account planning, sales enablement, strategic planning and marketing.

Sales leaders have great expectations for their key account programs, but they frequently disappoint.  Gartner expert Dan Hawkyard joins Betsy and Billy to discuss why key accounts so often underperform and how sales leaders can strengthen them for a fast start in 2024.Dan Hawkyard is a Senior Principal Analyst in the Gartner for Sales Leaders Expert Team. He works with global sales leaders on their journey towards maturing their commercial functions and his expertise include key and account management, customer segmentation and buying insights and experience.

Your sales strategy may be a work of art, but the most brilliant plan means nothing if sellers won’t execute. In this episode of the Gartner Sales Podcast, Betsy and Billy talk to Gartner Sr. Research Specialist Delainey Kirkwood, discussing how CSOs can drive effective seller behavior change and measure enablement’s impact in their organizations.Delainey Kirkwood is a Senior Research Specialist in Gartner's Sales Research Practice. In her current role, Delainey creates and communicates insights and tools focused on addressing the mission-critical priorities of sales enablement leaders, particularly on the topics of revenue enablement and behavior change. Delainey is the managing editor of Gartner's Chief Sales Officer Quarterly. Delainey is a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill and she began her career in manufacturing operations. She has been with Gartner for three years.

What does the future hold for the B2B seller? In this episode of the Gartner Sales Podcast, Betsy and Billy talk to Gartner expert Alice Walmesley, discussing how CSOs can reimagine the seller role for the future.

You may be sold on the value of Generative AI (GenAI), but how do you actually buy it?  In this episode, Betsy and Doug continue their conversation with Dan Gottlieb, the lead analyst for GenAI in the Gartner sales practice. Dan discusses what B2B sales leaders should consider when acquiring GenAI capabilities for their sales organizations.

Generative AI (GenAI) offers new and exciting opportunities in B2B sales, if you can harness it. In this episode, Doug and Betsy speak with Dan Gottlieb, the lead analyst for GenAI in the Gartner sales practice. Dan sheds light on how GenAI can be used in B2B sales, ways to address common risk factors and where sales leaders can begin.

Amid economic uncertainty, technology is crucial to revenue growth. However, investments in sales training and enormous amounts of revenue technology are not improving sales effectiveness for most companies.In this episode, Doug and Betsy speak with professor and author Dr. Howard Dover, discussing:How to develop modern sales methods and become a sales disruptorHow digital buying has changed traditional sales activityHow organizational and environmental obstacles keep the field in a state of paradox

Machine customers aren’t just coming — in some places, they are already here. In this episode, Betsy and Doug speak with Don Scheibenreif and Mark Raskino, Gartner experts and authors of “When Machines Become Customers,” to discuss how machine customers are changing B2B sales. Don Scheibenreif is a distinguished vice president analyst at Gartner based in California and a leader of Gartner’s research on customer experience. He works primarily with IT and business leaders on topics at the intersection of technology and customers. Don has led the development of Gartner’s research on machine customers since 2015. He is an accomplished international keynote speaker and has won numerous thought leadership awards for his work on digital business, Gartner’s IT Symposium Opening Keynotes, and the future of customer experience. Before joining Gartner in 2010, Don spent 22 years as a senior marketing leader in the consumer packaged goods, retail and B2B distribution markets.